It was in 2004 when Rui Domingues first came to
Costa Rica. He was general manager of the Hilton in Caracas,
Venezuela at that time and sent by the parent company to have a look
around the small Central American nation whose appeal as a tourist
destination was beginning to be recognized. Rui was smitten by the
beauty of the natural landscape, the rugged mountains and unspoiled
beaches, the Pacific Ocean on the western coast and the Caribbean
Sea on the east, the wondrous wildlife -- from the monkeys who
scampered through the trees to the birds and butterflies in their
glorious range of color and shape. There were no Hilton properties
in Costa Rica back then, but apparently the possibility was brewing.

Now it is six years later, and Rui Domingues is
the general manager of the Hilton Papagayo, a luxurious resort and
spa in the Guanacaste Province of northwest Costa Rica. "I left
Caracas the next-to-the-last day of the last year of the first
decade of the 21st century," he tells us. "Chavez had taken over the
hotel the month before. The environment was tense and difficult. And
I was struck by the fact that I was leaving a country whose
government had been usurped by a military junta and coming to one
that had no army."

At home in a new Hilton: General Manager
Rui Domingues

It did not take long for Rui to realize
no small part of Costa Rica’s appeal lay in its citizens,
the kind of people who would disband an army and distribute
funds once reserved for the military to education. From the
start, he says, he encountered a spirit of cooperation and
affability that has made his move all the more welcome.

At the same time, there is the appeal of
the 15-acre resort overlooking the deep, blue
horseshoe-shaped bay which flows into Gulf of Papagayo.
Terraced gardens rise up from a white-sand beach to the
multi-level public area of a property that spreads out at
the base of a forested mountain. Here one finds a pair of
linked endless pools, three thatch-roofed restaurants,
lounging areas, shops, function rooms, a children's center,
tennis courts, and secluded walkways. On the steep hillside
behind are 202 rooms and suites set into different levels
(bright green jitneys transport guests to and from rooms
along winding roads day and night). All are directly
accessed from the outdoors and have private terraces or
balconies with spectacular water or garden views.

To occupy a junior suite in the row of attached
bungalows on the "Panoramic Area" is to indulge in the illusion of
total solitude. Glass doors at the rear lead to a patio, plunge
pool, and small garden where branches provide convenient landing
zones for a variety of exotic birds. On either side, ceiling-high
hedges insure privacy but directly ahead the view is open revealing
a dramatic drop down to the bay and the mountain on the other side
where resorts and houses spaced amidst the greenery light up at
night like so many jewels.

Guests at the Hilton Papagayo
can avail themselves of day trips to volcanoes, national
parks and wildlife refuges in a country whose extraordinary
degree of biodiversity and equally extraordinary commitment
to conservation and environmental causes belie its small
size. They can go scuba diving and snorkeling, horseback
riding and sport fishing; they can ride the rapids on rafts
and float among the treetops on canopy tours. Or, should the
spirit move them, they can just stay put, relax around the
pool, walk the beach, get a massage at the full-service spa,
and hike the trails that wind through the hillside forest.
If they've brought the kids along, they can rest assured the
little ones are properly entertained and well taken care of
at Kidz Paradise Club which features a volcano-inspired
outdoor play area.

They can dine at any one of three
restaurants. There is La Cosecha where flamboyant
open-kitchen performances and overwhelming breakfast buffets
are continuing attractions. There is Grill del Fuego where
the focus is on Italian cuisine as well as healthy dining
options. And there is pool-side El Dorado which features
Tapas--Costa Rican style. Eric, our smiling server from
neighboring Nicaragua, described a routine where diners are
encouraged to "mix and match," "taste and graze" and guided
us through a menu that included clams with slices of avocado
and smoked tomatoes, tuna spring rolls with crushed peanuts
in a chipotle sauce, prosciutto with pineapple and local
corn bread, roasted wild mushroom mousse with plantain
chips, flambé beef loin tips in jalepeño brandy cream,
toasted fresh corn tortilla, paquera oysters and leek
gratinée, and grilled shrimp pinchos with tamarind chutney
presented on long sticks and wrapped with pita bread -- all
washed down with refreshing Costa Rican beer.

The Hilton Papgayo reveals itself like one of the
brilliant tropical flowers that bloom in its many garden beds. It
unfolded before us when we toured the property with catering and
events manager Andre Brathwaite who was born in Trinidad and Tobago
but moved to Costa Rica at the age of three when his father became
Director General of the Inter-American Cooperation for Agriculture
sector of the Organization of American States which is based in
Costa Rica.

Catering & Events Manager Andre Brathwaite

"A lot of people go to Caribbean locales to enjoy
the weather, the beautiful surroundings, the beaches," he told us.
"In Costa Rica, you have all this and something more: eco-tourism.
There is a great movement on the part of the government for hotels
to be green. Leaves are awarded for steps resorts take to become
more environmentally attentive. We have just been awarded our
fourth leaf and are on our way to the ultimate fifth. "

Ask Rui Dominguez how he feels about the change
his life has taken, and he is quick to reply. "I moved from a big
hotel in a major capital to a small resort in a small country. But I
am very happy," he says. "I believe when one door closes, another
opens. It's been only a short time that I've been here, but already
I can tell you -- this place is a blessing."

About the Authors: Myrna Katz Frommer and Harvey Frommer are a wife and husband
team who successfully bridge the worlds of popular culture and traditional
scholarship. Co-authors of the critically acclaimed interactive oral histories
It Happened in the Catskills, It Happened in Brooklyn, Growing Up Jewish in
America, It Happened on Broadway, It Happened in Manhattan, It Happened in
Miami. They teach what they practice as professors at Dartmouth College.

They are also travel writers who specialize in luxury properties and fine dining
as well as cultural history and Jewish history and heritage in the United
States, Europe, and the Caribbean. More
about these authors.